MR. J. COUPLAND 329 



About the same time, too, were announced the deaths 

 of two good sportsmen, well known in Leicestershire. 

 Lord Hopetoun, once master of the Pytchley, died at 

 Rome from heart disease, from which it is said he suf- 

 fered for a long time, although for several years he had 

 been accustomed to hunt six days a week, and rode 

 long distances to covert and home. The second death 

 was that of the Hon. H. Coventry, who succumbed to 

 a paralytic stroke at his residence at Pickwell. 



Towards the end of May 1873 the Ouorn stud was 

 sold at Tattersall's, when forty-six hunters realised 5836 

 guineas, giving an average of something like 127 guineas 

 each ; and the next event to notice is the gathering of 

 the keepers and earth-stoppers of the Quorn Hunt at 

 Willoughby, Loughborough, and Gaddesby, where every 

 man announced that his particular district was full of 

 foxes. What scheme of remuneration was formerly in 

 vogue is not quite clear, but it appears that Mr. Coup- 

 land was the first to start the system of rewarding 

 keepers by results, and to this no doubt was due the 

 increased stock of foxes, for the country was very badly 

 off when Mr. Coupland first entered upon his master- 

 ship. For the preceding three seasons the keepers had 

 received the sum of ten shillings for each find which 

 took place in coverts under their respective super- 

 vision, 1 and the season 1872-73 was perhaps, on the 

 whole, one of the most successful the Ouorn ever saw 

 up to that time. It subsequently transpired that no 

 fewer than 500 finds had been paid for at ten shillings 

 apiece, which meant that the sum of ^250 was distri- 

 buted in gratuities to keepers, so perhaps it is no wonder 

 that, on the new plan being started, the keepers saw 

 that to preserve foxes was to do something to their own 



1 The usual condition is, that if a fox runs to ground in some hole in the 

 coverts, which should have been stopped by the keeper on whose beat the 

 fox was found, the keeper forfeits the money he would otherwise have 

 received. 



